Rafael Nadal pulls out of French Open after failing to recover from ...

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the 2023 French Open after failing to win his fitness battle following a hip injury he suffered in January.

The 14-times Roland Garros winner announced his decision at a press conference on Thursday before the start of the tournament on 28 May. “It’s not a decision I made, it’s a decision my body made,” he told reporters at his tennis academy in Mallorca.

“I was even working as much as possible every single day for the last four months, they have been very difficult months because we were not able to find a solution to the problems I had in Australia,” Nadal added.

“Today I’m still in a position where I am not able to feel myself ready to compete at the standards I need to be to play Roland Garros. I am not the guy who will be at Roland Garros just to play.”

“I need to stop for a while,” Nadal added, while also declining to set a firm date for his return. “Maybe two months, maybe three or four months.” The 22-time grand slam champion added that he hoped to play in Paris next year, but he expected the 2024 season to be his last on the ATP Tour.

“I can’t say 100% it will be like this, but my idea and my motivation is to try to enjoy and say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important for me. To enjoy being competitive, and today that is not possible. I believe if I keep going now, I will not be able to make it happen.”

Nadal had hoped the injury, which occurred during his second-round defeat by Mackenzie McDonald at the Australian Open, would take only six to eight weeks to heal but a short video emerged online of Nadal doubling over in discomfort during a practice session last week.

Nadal turns 37 this month and is now a major doubt to feature at Wimbledon, which starts three weeks after the conclusion of the action in Paris.

More to follow